If you enjoyed my 18 Spectacular New Off-the-Radar Songs for Summer post (also known as Indie Christmas in July 2011 #1) from the beginning of July, which has 30,000 thumbs up on StumbleUpon already!), or my 17 Essential New Songs for Spring post from last year, which had 281 Diggs, then you’re in for a treat.
Because Indie Christmas in July 2011 #2 is done, albeit a few days late, and I think it’s better than either of those two previous mixes.
Before I reveal the playlist, some hat tips.
The 16 songs below were meticulously chosen from some 500+ that I listened to, some of them 10-12 times each. My sources were as follows: Indie Rock Cafe, Lost at E Minor, Waiting to Explode, The Undercard, my new favorite Gorilla vs Bear, and posts by Drew (Top 18 Indie Tracks from 2011) and Tyler (10 More Indie Songs You Should Be Listening To).
I try to find as many truly obscure songs as I can, though occasionally a song that is relatively well known slips in because I like it too much to leave it out. Civilization by Justice and Grown Ocean by Fleet Foxes would qualify as “well known” for this mix. But for the most part, these are terrific songs that not nearly enough people know about, so I’m happy to take the time to promote the songs for your enjoyment and for the advancement of the bands.
It’s a labor of love that I enjoy greatly. I hope you enjoy listening even 50% as much as I enjoyed making this list.
No more babbling. Here it is. Happy listening (and singing…and toe tapping…and head bopping…)
Indie Christmas in July #2
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1. Whatever You Say I Am by Mariage Blanc
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2. Civilization by Justice
(iTunes)
If this song sounds familiar, it’s probably because you heard it in an Adidas commercial.
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3. Silbury Sand by Wolf People
This song is straight out of the 70s.
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4. Wolves At The Door by David Bazan
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5. Before the Bridge by Future Islands
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6. If I Had a Boat by James Vincent McMorrow
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7. Grown Ocean by Fleet Foxes
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8. Civilian by Wye Oak
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9. San Francisco by Falling Andes
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10. Blue Night by Buxter Hoot’n
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11. Simple Math by Manchester Orchestra
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12. Midnight City by M83
For a while, this was my favorite song of the new batch, hence its placement at #12, which always seems to be where I put my initial favorite. But…
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13. Equestrian by U.S. Royalty
…at the time of posting, this is my favorite song of the new mix. I really enjoy the video too. Very raw, real, and honest.
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14. Tangie and Ray by Fruit Bats
Another song that sounds like it could have come from the 70s.
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15. Hanging On by Active Child
16. Get Up by Jonquil
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Note that I obviously don’t own the rights to any of these songs, and links I provide to external sites are simply links to where I first heard the song. Where possible, I always try to download from iTunes, buy from the artist, see a live show, or use Twitter and Facebook to spread the word about them. them.
And, of course, if you have suggestions for songs or bands that should be considered for my next mix, please leave comments below.
About Jerod Morris
I'm glad you included Wolf People. Love their sound.
I actually know about half of these songs, more than I could say for your last mix.
Good work. Again.
Gotta love that Manchester Orchestra is on the list. They're great live. I am glad I got to see them this year. Another great list Jerod! The more music, the better!
Thanks! They're so much fun to make. Apparently I need to put this on Spotify now. Will be doing that soon.
i dont know where u living, but summers there sucks..
I live in Dallas. But you bring up a good point. Calling these \”songs for summer\” is really a misnomer. I just happened to put the playlist together during the summer. Will update the title.
I love Jay Bilas' Twitter account.